Nakama?
by kasey44
Summary: Since Lisanna's return, Lucy has slowly been ignored by most of the guild. Unhappy with the way things are, Lucy decides to get stronger and prove to herself that she deserves to be acknowledged by her nakama. As Lucy makes changes in her own life and is noticed by the guild again, an enemy is emerging using one of their own for his evil plans. Rest of summary is inside...
1. The Changes

**Since Lisanna's return, Lucy has slowly been ignored by most of the guild. Unhappy with the way things are, Lucy decides to get stronger and prove to herself that she deserves to be acknowledged by her nakama. As Lucy makes changes in her own life and is noticed by the guild again, an enemy is emerging using one of their own for his evil plans. Fighting for the guild against the darkness brewing, they must protect Lucy from being used in his evil plans. **

**Set before Grand Magic Games but after the Key of the Starry Sky Arc.**

**Rated M because you never know (although I'll warn you at the top of the chapter if something happens)... My pairing is a secret so don't hate me please! :)**

**Also my first fanfic for Fairy Tail so feed back is welcome! I'm writing this for NaNoWriMo! Don't know what it is check my page and follow the links! Thanks and happy reading...hopefully... :)  
**

Lucy sighed and dropped her head on her desk. There had been something wrong with Natsu lately, and it was driving her crazy. Natsu had been becoming more distant ever since Lisanna returned from Edolas. It wasn't noticeable at first, but thinking back it started on their first mission since Lisanna returned.

_It was an easy enough job for Team Natsu. All they had to do was take down a minor dark guild that was disturbing a town to the north of Fiore. Erza had been quite on the train ride with Natsu knocked unconscious in her lap, but Lucy didn't think anything about it. _

_Once they arrived and spoke to the job poster, they headed out in the direction of the guild. Immediately after busting down the doors, Erza went for the master and Natsu for the tougher mages leaving Gray and her to take down the forty or so lesser mages. _

_She went to the left and Gray to the right. She called out Loke and began to use her whip to wrap a few mages before pulling them in for Loke to use Regulus to knock them unconscious. The sounds of her comrades filled her ears._

"_Ice make: Lance!"_

"_Requip: Heaven's Wheel Armor! Dance, my blades!"_

"_Roar of the fire dragon," Natsu yelled. There went the back wall of the dark guild. Lucy turned to Loke, who she could tell was tiring, and told him to go back while pulling a different ring of her keychain._

"_No. I shall protect you my dear princess," he flirted turning to wink at me. We missed the mage coming up behind him till Loke was forced back to the Spirit Realm after being injured by the enemy's sword._

"_LOKE," she shouted as he disappeared. She flung her whip and wrapped it around the enemy's neck before jerking him and delivered a swift Lucy Kick to his face. A pained yell and sharp crack echoed in her ears then the man was knocked unconscious like the rest. _

_Lucy scanned her eyes over the ten or so mages she had left. Loke had helped cut them down so she decided to use one strong attack to finish them, and help the others. _

"_Open gate of the Golden Bull! Open gate of the Scorpion! Taurus! Scorpio!"_

"_Nice body, Lucy," Taurus said looking her up and down with hearts in his eyes._

"_We are," Scorpio said with his usual hand jester._

_The mages looked on confused, but unsure of the new arrivals magic ability. Lucy smiled at her friends while sweat coated her already tired body. Loke, the head of the Zodiacs, then two golden keys at the same time, she was proud of herself as she felt her magic falling. She needed a quick finish. Her spirit friends turning their attention from their tired master attacked the remaining mages._

"_Sandstorm Axe Aldebaran," the two yelled and with that the rest of her opponents and the part of the wall were crushed. _

"_Arigato, Taurus, Scorpio. You can go back now," she smiled as they disappeared. Her magic was low, but she turned to see if Gray needed help. _

"_Yo! Good job, Lucy," Gray said smiling as he walked toward her._

"_Good job yourself," she replied looking at all his enemies. They were either frozen to the ground or to the wall, but they were all unconscious._

"_Yes good job Gray," Erza spoke as she walked up dragging the unconscious dark guild master by the hair._

_Gray wrapped his arm around Lucy's shoulders, "Don't forget Lucy. She took out half of them."_

_Erza looked over the beaten down mages to their left and smiled fondly._

"_Yes you did very well Lucy. You improve more and more every day," Erza praised._

"_No. No," Lucy waving her hands in front of herself, "You guys did much more than me. Besides Loke, Taurus, and Scorpio did most of the work."_

_Erza smiled and pulled Lucy into a painful hug against her chest plate. Gray winced and watched Lucy's eye water from the pain._

"_Oh Lucy you're so cute when you're being modest," Erza rubbed her cheek against Lucy's head squealing from Lucy's adorableness._

"_Erza shouldn't we get Natsu and get ready to go," Gray commented trying to get Lucy out of Erza's death grip without being attacked for ruining her motherly moment. Erza coughed and released Lucy unhappily._

"_Yes. We need to get going so we can claim our reward," Erza sighed then bellowed, "NATSU HURRY UP AND GET DOWN HERE."_

_Natsu came bouncing down the stairs grinning ear to ear. _

"_HEY ICE BREATH. Bet you fought like a girl," Natsu taunted smirking._

"_At least I know how to get my work done on time, droopy eyes."_

"_WHAT DID YOU SAY? YOU WANNA GO?" _

_Natsu lit his fist on fire and jumped towards Gray. Only to be punched to the floor by demon Erza._

"_NO FIGHTING!"_

_At once Natsu jumped up and wrapped an arm around Gray while Gray wrapped an arm around him._

"_AYE SIR," the two idiots chorused._

_Lucy giggled at the Happy impressions. It made her miss the annoying blue exceed. Happy decided to visit the exceeds with Carla and Pantherlily. He at least still enjoyed hanging out with her. Most of Fairy Tail seemed to be spending most of their time with Lisanna. Even Natsu didn't sleep over as much as he used to. Happy spent the night with her sometime, but it just wasn't the same without the fire breathing idiot. Her eyes unknowingly drifted to him while she thought. _

_Erza paused in the middle of her lecture about how friends shouldn't fight. She had noticed the growing distance building between the two. It upset her but she couldn't do anything about it without it seeming like she was choosing sides._

"_Lucy are you ready to go," Erza asked after finishing her lecture with a fist on each of the boys' heads. The idiot's groaning ignored by the s-class mage. _

"_Hmm. Yeah! Whenever you're ready," Lucy smiled brightly. Only Gray and Erza noticed it was forced and fake. Natsu hadn't acknowledged Lucy at all on this mission except to inform her about it and sleep on her lap during the train ride._

Lucy sat up and sighed while wiping the tears out of the corners of her eyes. Ever since that mission she hadn't seen nor spoken to Natsu except for a glimpse every now and then around the guild. He even stopped taking missions with Gray and Erza if he knew she was going. It was like she was a disease he didn't want to catch. Erza and Gray didn't spend much time with her anymore, but they didn't go out of their way to avoid her.

She couldn't even be mad at anyone but herself. If her mother suddenly came back, she would want to spend all her time catching up too. It wasn't right for her to be jealous, but she also thought about the way some no most of the guild was acting.

It was like she was a ghost. She couldn't even get missions approved by Mira, she had to get them approved by master. It hurt so much trying to talk to people only to be ignored or brushed off. It was like she was a little girl again trying to get daddy's attention. She knew she wouldn't get it, but she kept trying no matter how much it hurt every time she was rejected.

Even Levy, her best friend, was pushing her away. Lucy closed her eyes and tilted her head back remembering the last time she tried to talk to Levy.

_She had just finished three chapters of her novel while Levy was away on a mission with team ShadowGear. She had been bored since Natsu and the others were ignoring her. Lucy got ready quickly that morning knowing team ShadowGear had returned the night before. _

_She strapped on her keys and whip grabbing her chapters as she ran out the door. She ran towards the guild her feet slapping against the sidewalk and waving towards the people who yelled good morning to her. She paused at the door of the guild to catch her breath. What if Levy ignored her like most everyone else? Shaking her head to clear her insecurities away, Lucy knew Levy would never do that. They were to close. She took a deep breath before stepping into the guild. Her eyes roamed before landing on Levy sitting near the back talking with someone. A genuine smile made its way across her face as she walked towards Levy._

"_Hey Levy! I just finished –" _

"_Can't you see I'm catching up with Lisanna? Go bother someone else," Levy snapped at Lucy before turning her attention back to Lisanna._

_Lucy's breath caught in her throat. Levy didn't want her around either._

"_Yeah…sorry," she mumbled before turning and running out of the guild tears blurring her vision, unknowingly attracting the red gazes of two of the few who still noticed her. _

Lucy got up from her desk and went to curl up in bed. It hurt that everyone – well most everyone – was ignoring her. She thought they were nakama. That they stuck to each other in thick or thin. Tears blurred her vision as she tried looking at her open window. It stayed open in her hopes that Natsu would show up and hang out like they used to.

A flash of light burst behind her as one of her spirit friends opened their own gates. Without her team around she had been going on missions by herself and had gotten stronger because of it.

"Sumimasen," Aries mumbled before crawling in behind me and surrounding us with her wool.

Aries and I had gotten closer after I all but beat Loke to admit his feeling to her one day when Aries told me how she felt about the playboy lion. They were now a happy couple who worked well together like Aquarius and Scorpio. Lucy smiled a bit through my tears. She was getting closer to all her spirit friends since she became a ghost in the guild.

Even she and Aquarius had come to an understanding and now had a more teasing sisterly relationship rather than her previous moodiness. Aquarius is even more protective of Lucy and has threatened to come out and "show the guild what it means to ignore and upset her master". Although she still couldn't come out without water, Lucy made sure to keep a reign on them when she stopped by the guild to pick up a mission.

Lucy turned over and cuddled close to Aries. They had definitely become closer although Lucy had yet to break her of the habit of apologizing all the time. Last she heard though. Loke couldn't do it either so she wasn't too disappointed.

"Shh. Lucy-sama , sumimasen. It will all turn out ok," Aries attempted to comfort.

Sniffling Lucy tried to smile at her through the tears, "Yeah maybe they'll notice me soon."

After that Lucy cried herself to sleep as she had done every night since they began to ignore her. Aries stayed throughout the night holding her master for once in nearly a murderous rage at the pain those people had caused her master.

Around midnight Loke opened his own gate to be once again greeted by the sight of Aries holding their master who still continued to cry even in her sleep.

Sighing, Loke sat down on the edge of the bed. He held his head in his hands. How could they do this to Lucy? He had even gone to see if they would ignore him like they did her only to be greeted by everyone happily. Why would they only ignore Lucy? If they were gonna ignore her, they should ignore him since he's _her_ celestial spirit, part of _her_ magic, but no they greeted him and tried pulling him into yet another party for Lisanna's return.

"Loke," Aries whispered turning her head slightly to look at him without disturbing their master, "she still isn't sleeping well. Sumimasen, I don't know what to do."

Aries started to tear up unhappy at being able to do nothing for her master. Lucy-sama was the best master she had ever had, but she couldn't do anything to make her feel better. Lucy-sama was nothing like Karen. She was kind and sweet and did everything she could for her spirits. She never treated them like weapons and instead fought beside them.

Aries tensed slightly before relaxing as Loke stroked her hair. She still slightly feared people because of Karen, but she had gotten better.

"Shh, Aries, Lucy wouldn't want you getting upset over her. You know that," Loke whispered back smiling a bit, "I'm feeling pretty useless myself. Can't stop Lucy from crying and I can't stop you from crying for her."

"Sumimasen, sumimasen, sumimas–," Aries whimpered before Loke covered her mouth with a finger to stop the apologies.

"It's not your fault. We just need to think of a way to get her back to her old self. Maybe the few she talks about without crying still notice her and can help. We'll have a meeting with the other spirits when you get released," Loke smiled at Lucy's arms tight around his girlfriend's waist while hers were wrapped around Lucy's shoulders and petting her hair.

"B-but, but, Lucy–" Aries stuttered unhappy at leaving her master when she knew holding her made her feel better.

"I'll get Plue to take your place. You don't want Lucy sad any longer do you," Loke questioned turning away so she could see his grin. He was glad Lucy wasn't awake she'd beat him for using Aries feelings against her even if it was necessary.

"Sumimasen. Of course I want Lucy-sama happy again. I don't want her to be sad anymore."

"Good. I'll go let everyone know about the meeting while you escape her arms, then I'll come back with Plue."

Aries smiled happily now that they were going to plan a way to get their master happy again, "Ok."

With that Loke disappeared and Aries began to wiggle herself out of her master's arms. After a half hour of struggles and petting to keep Lucy asleep, Aries escaped and Loke returned Plue in his arms.

After Plue cuddled up into Lucy's arms with her mumbling, Aries wrapped them in her wool before turning to Loke.

Loke smiled and ran the back of his hand across her cheek, "Don't worry, sweetheart. We'll get the old Lucy back."

"I know because that is our pride as spirits," Aries smiled.

With that Loke and Aries returned to the Spirit World for the meeting on how to get their master back to their normal self.


	2. The Exceptions

**Yaay! New Chapter! And it's so Looooong... well to me it is. My hand and head hurts from going and writing it then typing it. -_- Not fun... Anyways Wanna Play a Game? It's where you guess who Lucy gets paired with XD Yes I'm cruel and won't tell! I'm enjoying changing up what I was originally was gonna write and making it more... i dunno... enticing? Cuz you don't know who she'll end up with!Well hope you enjoy my chapter! BTW please don't steal it's mean and I worked very hard on this! Thank you!**

The next morning Lucy awoke to the warm sun on her tear swollen face and the sound of birds in her ears. Blinking the sleepiness out of her eyes Lucy unwound her arms and stretched.

"Pun, Pun." Looking down under her covers and the dissipating wool Lucy found Plue sitting up and rubbing his eyes. Smiling she patted his head; it had been a while since she called on him.

"Hey, Plue, guess Aries got tired of me, huh."

Shaking his head and body, "Punn, pun, pun."

"Oh? Did Loke take her away for a date or something," Lucy asked confused. Both with his adamant denial and the fact she was sort of conversing with her dog spirit.

"Punn, punn," Plue nodded happily before crawling up and rubbing his head against her cheek.

"Ok then, since you're here wanna take a bath with me," Lucy smiled. It always entertained her when he melted in her bath.

"Punn, pun," Plue's body shook while he nodded happily.

Lucy giggled as she jumped up and headed to the bathroom with Plue in her arms. After turning on the water and getting it heated up, she filled the tub. The bathroom filled with steam as she undressed and got in with Plue.

She smiled a bit watching him play and melt before closing her eyes and leaning her head against the rim of the tub. Times like these made her forget about most of the guild ignoring her. She thought back on the few who still noticed her.

Gajeel, Wendy, the exceeds, Master, Laxus, and the Thunder God Tribe were the only ones who still noticed her. Wendy and the exceeds always greeted her when she showed up at the guild with Gajeel grunting his hello beside them.

When she came home from a mission ruffed up, Wendy and Carla made sure to stop by and heal her despite her protests.

Master sat her down before he approved her missions so she could vent.

Laxus and his team would greet her outside the guild when they passed each other either going or coming back from a mission. Laxus would pat her head like a child, Bixlow and his dolls calling her "Cosplay Queen", Freed greeting her with small conversation, while Evergreen smiles at her and beats Bixlow up for teasing her.

It made her feel like she still had a family in Fairy Tail even while everyone ignored her.

Lucy sat up and finished washing her hair and body before releasing the water and getting out. She almost lost Plue down the drain if he hadn't reminded her he was there with a "punn, pun".

After setting him on the edge of the tub, Lucy wrapped a towel around herself and began going through her morning ritual. She brushed her teeth, put on lotion, blow dried and styled her hair, and pulling on her underwear before returning to her bedroom with Plue following at her heels. She closed her window and curtains knowing Natsu wouldn't barge in like he used to.

Lucy turned and shifted through her closet occasionally pulling outfits out and turning to Plue for his opinion. Lucy giggled at the sight of Plue holding his chin with a paw and thinking about every choice she showed him.

They finally decided on a black tank top with gold spotted all over it like stars and a black skirt trimmed in gold. They finished it off a pair of high heeled black boots, a gold hair tie, and a gold belt with her keys and whip attached.

Lucy made herself some cereal and gave Plue a lollipop, and they sat down at her table for breakfast.

"Hey, Plue, maybe we should take a mission. I'd like to put some money back even if my rent has been getting paid without Natsu…destroying everything on missions…"

"Punn, punn," Plue nodded viciously. She needed to take her mind of Natsu and a mission was a great way to do it.

"You're right Plue! Maybe I should see if Wendy might wanna go with me? Or we can go one by ourselves?"

"Punn, punn!"

"Maybe I should wait to see if Wendy is even back, ne?"

"Punn!"

Lucy finished up her cereal and put the dishes in the sink before taking the stick from Plue's sucker and throwing it away. They then headed out jumping onto the ridge next to the canal.

"Be careful, Lucy-chan! You'll fall in," one of the fishermen called to her.

"Hai! I'll be careful," she returned cheerfully.

She needed to get over the fact everyone was ignoring her and get on with her life. If they didn't want to be friends with her fine, she'll just make some new friends. Maybe some from other guilds? She was good friends with Hibiki from Blue Pegasus. Lyon and Sherry from Lamia Scale were sort of friends.

Where could she make some new friends? Maybe there was a joint guild request she could take and make some more friends.

With that goal in mind, Lucy smiled and pulled her fist down. Yes! She wouldn't let those jerks to pull her down! She would come back stronger than ever ready to fight on her own.

At the doors of Fairy Tail, Plue left to go back to the Spirit World. Lucy closed her eyes for a moment to prepare herself. Even if she was getting used to the fact no one noticed her anymore, it still hurt that her family didn't want her around anymore.

A ruff hand patted her head and her eyes snapped open.

"Cool down, bunny-girl. They haven't noticed you in months no need to keep freaking out. Gee-hee."

She raised her eyes to find Gajeel messing up her hair grinning down at her.

Pushing his hand off, Lucy turned to face him, "Not all of us are loners like you metal-head," she smirked a bit.

"Lucy-san, please excuse Gajeel. He doesn't play well with others," Pantherlily teased flying up and out of Gajeel's reach as he started swiping at him.

"Oi! Get down here, you stupid cat!"

Lucy laughed at Gajeel. She was laughing so hard she had to bend over and hold her stomach it was in so much pain, missing the look that passed between the slayer and his exceed.

The few that still noticed her had made it their mission to bring Lucy back to her happy self. If she was smiling and laughing like this, they were obviously moving in the right direction.

Lucy stood back up giggling and wiping a few stray tears off her face. She looked up at Gajeel and Lily, who now sat calmly on his shoulder.

"Well, Gajeel, I'm making a change if they don't want to be friends with me fine. I'll make some new friends," Lucy smiled up at the two.

"Gee-hee," Gajeel patted her head, "As long as you don't forget the friends that have stood by you this long, bunny-girl."

"Yes. Don't forget we're still here for you, Lucy-san," Lily smiled down from Gajeel's shoulder.

A slight cough came from behind Gajeel. Lucy, Gajeel, and Lily looked to find Levy looking extremely put out. A small barely noticeable twitch started under her left eye as she looked at the trio having a happy conversation.

"Why don't you go bother someone who cares about you, Lucy-san. Gajeel doesn't need you around to bring him down," she snapped.

"Levy-san," Lily couldn't believe this Levy was the one who was supposedly Lucy's best friend.

"Shrimp," Gajeel gritted his teeth. He couldn't believe the innocent little bookworm would be as cruel as what Wendy had told him about Lucy and Levy's last conversation. He was wondering about being her friend and protecting her all this time.

Lucy's smile quickly dropped of her face as she looked towards the ground to hide the tears that sprung up in her eyes.

Gajeel growled under his breath his eyes flashing towards Lucy while Lily looked at him confused. Damn Shrimp making all his good work going to waste. He could smell bunny-girl's tears and it was making his insides twitch in an unpleasant way.

"Y-yeah. I'm sorry. I'll go now," Lucy turned on her heel and scampered into the guild.

"Lucy-san, wai–," Lily tried to stop her, but the bunny-girl was as quick as the bunnies Gajeel nicknamed her for. The guild doors swinging shut behind her before Lily could finish.

Gajeel turned his angry red gaze towards Levy, "the fuck, Shrimp? I thought you two were best friends or some girly shit like that?"

"I grew up. I don't need to be dragged down by some weak, pampered princess like her," Levy smiled and winking up at Gajeel.

Lily gagged softly next to Gajeel at her out right flirting while she put down Lucy.

"Whatever, Shrimp," Gajeel turned and walked away from the guild with Lily growling unhappily on his shoulder.

"W-wait! Gajeel, where are you going," she called.

"Training," he grunted before taking off in a sprint to get away from her.

Lucy made her way quickly towards the mission board ducking and dodging the random array of objects being thrown around the guild as a fight as usual went on in the guild.

Stopping in front of the mission board, Lucy let her eyes roam over it looking for a joint guild mission.

"Lucy-san, are you looking for a mission," Wendy asked puffing a little air out to stop the beer bottle about to hit Lucy.

"Of course she is, Wendy. Why else would she be in front of the mission board," Carla huffed from Wendy's arms.

"Yup! I'm looking for a joint guild one, so I can make some more friends," Lucy smiled down at Wendy, the younger girl whom she thought of as a sister, and her exceed, Carla.

Wendy's chin trembled and her eyes filled with tears, "A-are we not enough, L-Lucy-san? I'm sorry! I'll try harder! Please don't leave us!"

Lucy's eyes widened before she patted Wendy's head. She was so lucky to have such wonderful friends.

"No. I'm not leaving you guys! You've all done so much for me! I just want to make some new ones, that's all."

Wendy sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes. She didn't want Lucy to leave Fairy Tail. She had been like a big sister ever since she joined after the Nirvana mission.

"It's good that you're moving on, Blondie. Don't forget the rest of us though," Carla smiled softly up at Lucy. Despite her first impression of her, Lucy wasn't a bad person. She was just dealing with things her own way like everyone does.

"Don't worry, I won't. Gajeel and Lily have already told me that," Lucy's smile dropped a bit.

"Lucy-san, what's wrong? You know you can tell us anything," Wendy spoke softly. Gajeel and Lily are part of the plan to make Lucy happier, so why did saying their names make her sad?

"Iie, iie," Lucy waved her hands frantically in front of herself, "It's just Levy showed up and said something that hurt me a bit. That's all."

Wendy growled a bit under her breath the vibrations in her chest making Carla look up at her in confusion. Levy was supposed to be one of the ones who still noticed Lucy not someone who was hurting her.

Lucy turned back to the board her eyes scanning before landing on a joint guild mission.

"Aha, found one!"

"That's good Lucy-san! What's about?"

"Hmm… _A dark guild has moved into the woods surrounding our town. They have been causing trouble and wreaking havoc. We believe one of their mages can summon things. We have requested two guilds in case one does not have a summoner mage to aid against the dark guild's. Please save our town. Location: Waas Forest. Reward: 100,000 jewels to each guild. _Sounds perfect it'll completely cover my rent with some left over for some shoes!"

"We'd ask to come with you, but we have already promised to go on a mission with Gajeel and Lily tomorrow," Carla spoke while Wendy pouted.

"That's fine we'll go on one together when I come back how about that," Lucy smiled down at them, "maybe even metal-head and Lily can come with!"

Wendy perked up at the thought of spending time with her big sister figure, "Hai, Lucy-san!"

"I'll see you guys later then. I'm gonna go get approved by master!"

Lucy turned and headed further into the guild hall and up the stairs to Master's office. She knocked hard on the door knowing he probably wouldn't be able to hear it with the fight going on down stairs.

"Come in, my child," she heard him shout through the door.

She opened the door smiling sadly at him hidden behind the stack papers she knew were complaints about team Natsu's destruction.

"Hey, Master, can you approve this for me," she questioned after shutting the door and coming to sit in one of the chairs in front of his desk her mission rolled up in her hand.

Makarov looked up from his paperwork to smile softly at one of his most beloved children. It broke his heart to see how most of the guild was treating her. It was also thanks to her that he allowed Laxus to rejoin from her account of what happened when they fought Hades.

He was glad he did it. His grandson was one of the few who still noticed Lucy. He was extremely protective of the little celestial mage as well. Everything was showing how much Laxus had grown and changed. It made him proud.

"Let me see, my child," taking the request she handed him he looked it over with a critical eye.

"You know this is a joint guild request right, Lucy?"

"Hai, Master. That's why I'm taking it. I want to make some more friends outside the guild, other mages to learn from, make bonds with. I think it is what's best for me."

"I'm glad you're beginning to move on, Lucy-chan!"

Only Lucy and the few who acknowledged her were in his log since they refused to go through Mira. Sighing, Makarov grabbed his mission log book from a drawer and began filling out all the information needed. He knew he just needed to wait, and Lucy would tell him everything that had happened lately.

She broke a new record as she started talking not a minute after he began writing in the mission log. She spoke of how she wanted to get stronger and make new friends. She even spoke of what had happened outside the guild with Levy. She spoke of how much it still hurt no matter how used to it she got.

He finished filling out the log and approved her mission with a stamp while she buried her face in her hands and cried. It hurt something deep inside him seeing one of his children so broken and hurt.

Makarov hopped onto his desk and walked over to pat Lucy on the head.

"There, there, Lucy. Let it out and think towards the future."

"H-hai, master, I'll try. Arigato."

Lucy looked up at him with a watery smile before engulfing him in a hug. Pulling back from the hug, Makarov smiled perversely from being squished in Lucy's bouncy breasts. Her face reddened to the color of a ripe tomato before she thumped him soundly on the head with a fist.

Falling backwards onto his desk a large lump forming on his head, Makarov let out a perverted giggle. He knew that was bound to bring a reaction other than sadness from the celestial mage.

Lucy snatched her mission of his desk and stomped to the door fighting back a giggle. It was good to know master was still himself.

"See you later, hentai master," she muttered before closing the door behind her.

Lucy made her way down the stairs and made her way out of the guild dodging objects from the fight. She turned once at the door to wave a quick goodbye to Wendy and Carla before stepping through the doors and heading towards her home.

It felt good to have a purpose again. As she made her way into her home, Lucy decided to pack up and leave tonight. She wanted to get there and get settled before meeting the other guild that was gonna be on the mission.

She pulled out her pink suitcase and backpack and began filling them with all the essentials. She made sure she had fightable clothes, cute clothes, dresses, a few swimsuits, at least three different pairs of shoes, her bathing and beauty supplies, and finally her accessories.

Lucy smiled to herself as she pulled on her backpack and pulled along her pink suitcase. She stopped by her landlady's apartment and let her know she would be gone for a while before heading to the train station.

As Lucy was nearing the station, she heard a crack of lightning and a loud shout of, "ENOUGH!"

Giggling to herself, she quickened her pace to find Laxus standing over a cowering Evergreen and Bixlow, who must have been fighting again to put Laxus in a bad mood, while Freed stood to the side praising Laxus and glaring at Evergreen and Bixlow.

"Someone's in a bad mood, huh," Lucy questioned as she reached them.

Evergreen and Bixlow looked up at her hope in their eyes.

"Lucy-san help please," Evergreen pleaded.

"Cosplayer Queen save us," Bixlow whined.

Snapping her fan across Bixlow's head Evergreen snapped at him, "FOOL! Teasing her isn't going to help us!"

"Ow, ow, ow. The hell kind of fan is that? It hurts like hell!"

"SILENCE, YOU IDIOTS," Laxus shouted before rubbing his temples.

"Lucy-sama, please calm them down before Laxus-sama goes crazy, please," Freed pleaded getting on his knees and looking up at her with puppy dog eyes.

"Hai, hai. No need to get on your knees, Freed. Now stand up," she turned two the other two members of the Thunder God Tribe, "You two need to calm yourselves before Laxus zaps both of you with his lightning.

Lucy tried to hold back her giggles as she shook her finger at Bixlow and Evergreen. She then turned her attention to Laxus.

Laxus growled sparking a bit in his irritability. He was so fed up with the two he was barely holding himself back from giving them a good shock for causing so much trouble.

"Freed," he grunted. He still wasn't fully in control, and if he retold what happened to her the little control he had would be gone.

"Well, Lucy-sama, Bixlow and Evergreen have been mischievous lately pulling pranks on one another. They then went on to full scale arguing. This nearly completely ruined our mission had it not been for Laxus-sama," Freed paused to fawn over his leader before continuing, "Now they are now causing Laxus-sama the pain of a migraine from listening to their constant bickering."

Lucy shook her head exasperated. Those two were almost as bad as Natsu and Gray except they were better friends than the two boys. She sighed, her mood diminishing thinking about her two teammates.

She had been sighing a lot lately. It was kind of depressing. Where was the Lucky Lucy everyone spoke of when she was younger? The girl that was always smiling and positive all the time. No matter! Lucy was gonna bring her old mind set back.

Laxus, who had calmed himself while Freed was talking nearly snapped at the two idiots for upsetting her. It was obvious they were acting like the ice baka and the fire baka. They were supposed to be working to make her cheery again, stupid idiots.

The three Laxus followers continued bickering in the background when Lucy looked up with a start as a large hand started mussing up her hair. What was with all the tall men messing up her hair? She just fixed it from when Gajeel messed it up!

"So, looks like you're going' on a mission, huh, Blondie," Laxus teasingly questioned.

"YOU'RE BLONDE, TOO," she shouted at him before taking a deep breath and continuing, "but yes. I'm starting a new chapter in my life. I'm gonna make new friends, but don't worry I'm not gonna forget you guys!"

Lucy smiled happily up at the lightning mage.

"Waaahhh! Lucy-sama is so amazing," the trio cried before attacking her in a flying hug usually reserved for Laxus.

"AHH," Lucy shouted struggling to remain upright. Her efforts were in vain because the four of them all fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs with Laxus laughing over them.

After they all said goodbyes, Lucy went to get her ticket and hopped on the train to Clover town. She would have to get a car or hitch a ride to get the rest of the way to Waas Forest, but at least she could take a few hours nap before then.

Lucy soon fell into a deep slumber a smile on her face thinking of the kind of mages she would meet and the adventures she would have. Unknowing to her three bursts of light filled her train car.

As the lights faded, the trio of spirits is revealed as Aries, Loke, and Virgo.

"Looks like Lucy is taking charge of her own future and happiness now," Loke said smiling at his master sleeping across from them.

"Sumimasen. It also seems someone else was ahead of us and getting Lucy-sama back to Normal," Aries told the other two.

"Yes. Gajeel, Wendy, Laxus, the exceeds, and the Thunder God Tribe were ahead of us, but we're now prepared if they fail," Loke replied.

"Shall I be punished for being too late," Virgo asked indifferently her eyes blank.

Loke and Aries sighed. Virgo was just too into punishment sometimes. They, however, were glad Lucy made a deal with her that seemed to slow down her asking for punishment. Whenever a guy was to forward or creepy, Virgo got to punish them as long as she stopped asking for punishment from everyone else.

Loke shuddered remembering when Virgo took offense to his flirting with Lucy and punished him. He now knew how viciously protective and strong he and his fellow spirits got with Lucy. Aries broke his train of thought with her soft stuttering.

"S-sumimasen, but I'm worried about this mission. What if the summoner is a celestial spirit mage like A-Angel-sama or K-Karen-sama?"

Virgo's eyes hardened. She had heard what those two had done to Loke and Aries. They should be dealt with her way.

"Then I shall punish them for hime," Virgo spoke a dark undertone hiding barely noticeable behind her usual bland voice.

"Don't worry Aries," Loke spoke smiling patting her head gently, "Lucy has gotten stronger. All of her spirits have gotten strong enough to come out on their own if she's in danger. She'll be completely safe."

"There is also the mages from the other guild that accepted the request," Virgo supplied.

"B-but what if they aren't mages Lucy knows or from a guild she knows! T-they might be dangerous," Aries cried.

Loke continued stoking her hair attempting to sooth her, "that's why we're here to stand by and protect our master for that is our pride. Let's go back and rest up for the mission. Virgo stay and look after Lucy till she makes it to Waas Forest."

Virgo nodded. Loke and Aries then returned back to the Spirit World leaving Virgo to guard and protect their master. 

**So? What did ya think? Hmm? Love it? Hate it? Got some advice? Feel free to let me know!**

**Nyaa~kasey44**


	3. The Break-Ups

**Sorry it took this chapter took so long! I wanted to get a few chapters done before I posted them so I didn't get as stressed. So to clear things up, everything except the italicized flashbacks happens the day after Lucy left. Also the first flashback is from yesterday in the story. The second we're gonna pretend happens at the end of the Infinity Clock arc (Starry Night Arc) rather than the beginning of it! :) Okay? Thanks and enjoy!  
**

Gajeel grumbled to himself as he munched on iron screws in the back of the guild. He and Wendy, along with their cats, had finished the mission they took the day after Bunny-girl left. All they did was fix some things and move things around for some old lady in Magnolia.

It was an all-around boring ass job, but it helped strengthen the little brat's arms. She needed to get tougher. It wasn't right for a dragon slayer to be weak. Next, he should probably take her on a job she needs to run during, maybe a bit of tracking, too.

Although Bunny-girl would have to come along, it might get her more motivated rather than distract as he thought it would. Wendy's dragon may have left her to soon and without enough training, but she definitely got the dragon rule of 'protect you family' down pat.

The brat was scarily protective of her "onee-san" as bunny-girl had been dubbed when she wasn't around to hear it. Thinking of Bunny-girl got him thinking about Shrimp and what happened yesterday before Bunny-girl left.

_A slight cough came from behind Gajeel. Lucy, Gajeel, and Lily looked to find Levy looking extremely put out. A small barely noticeable twitch started under her left eye as she looked at the trio having a happy conversation._

"_Why don't you go bother someone who cares about you, Lucy-san. Gajeel doesn't need you around to bring him down," she snapped._

"_Levy-san," Lily couldn't believe this Levy was the one who was supposedly Lucy's best friend._

"_Shrimp," Gajeel gritted his teeth. He couldn't believe the innocent little bookworm would be as cruel as what Wendy had told him about Lucy and Levy's last conversation. He was wondering about being her friend and protecting her all this time. _

_Lucy's smile quickly dropped of her face as she looked towards the ground to hide the tears that sprung up in her eyes. _

_Gajeel growled under his breath his eyes flashing towards Lucy while Lily looked at him confused. Damn Shrimp making all his good work going to waste. He could smell bunny-girl's tears and it was making his insides twitch in an unpleasant way._

"_Y-yeah. I'm sorry. I'll go now," Lucy turned on her heel and scampered into the guild._

"_Lucy-san, wai–," Lily tried to stop her, but the bunny-girl was as quick as the bunnies Gajeel nicknamed her for. The guild doors swinging shut behind her before Lily could finish._

_Gajeel turned his angry red gaze towards Levy, "the fuck, Shrimp? I thought you two were best friends or some girly shit like that?"_

"_I grew up. I don't need to be dragged down by some weak, pampered princess like her," Levy smiled and winking up at Gajeel._

_Lily gagged softly next to Gajeel at her out right flirting while she put down Lucy. _

"_Whatever, Shrimp," Gajeel turned and walked away from the guild with Lily growling unhappily on his shoulder._

"_W-wait! Gajeel, where are you going," she called._

"_Training," he grunted before taking off in a sprint to get away from her._

Lost in his own thought, Gajeel didn't notice he had company till she cleared her throat. Focusing his red eyes from his food to across the table, he locked gazes with the Shrimp. As he tossed another screw in his mouth, he raised one metal stud eyebrow in question.

Levy smiled brightly, "Hey, Gajeel, wanna go on a mission with me?"

"No," he grunted as he chewed his food.

Levy pulled back as though she was slapped. She shook herself. No. She would not give up

"Why not," she questioned as she fluttered her eyelashes.

He had to want her. He was always following her and helping her. He must want her. Why would he do it, otherwise?

He growled at her as his eyes flashed angrily, "You've been ignoring and cruel to Bunny-girl."

Levy hissed at him as soon as her name passed his lips.

"Why would you care about some weakling like her?"

"Because she is my friend and supposed to be your friend too," he snapped.

"Why would I ever be friends with that loser," she hissed.

Gajeel shot up from his chair knocking it back and to the floor. The sound covered by the fight going on in the center of the guild. Even with his enhanced dragon hearing, he barely noticed the others losing it on people who had ignored Lucy like he was doing. Gajeel slapped his hands on the table causing food to pop up from it before settling back down as he leaned over the table to tower over the Shrimp.

"You were, Shrimp. You got excited over her book. You talked with her all the time, and when she was gone, you couldn't stop talking about her and her book. If this is your true self, I don't want or need anything to do with a two faced, bitch like you. Don't bother me anymore, bitch, and definitely stay away from Bunny-girl. She deserves better friends than you," he growled before grabbing his bowl of iron screws and stomping out of the guild leaving the – newly dubbed – bitch gaping behind him.

Pantherlily left Happy and Carla, who he had been sitting and talking with, to come and sit on Gajeel's shoulder.

"Training time or demolishing time," Lily asked.

Whenever something upset or irritated Gajeel, it was better to let him work it out before getting him to talk about it.

"Demolishing time," he grunted back heading towards their house in the woods.

"Gajeel? Gajeel! Don't you dare destroy our house," Lily shouted before Gajeel knocked him of his shoulder. Gajeel then took off in a run towards their house with a dark, "Gee-hee."

"GAJEEL! DON'T YOU DARE," Lily shouted activating his Aera and taking off after him.

Evergreen couldn't believe Elfman would be like the others ignoring Lucy-sama. Maybe she was wrong and he wasn't ignoring her, and she just never saw him talking to her. Or maybe he was ignoring Lucy-sama and she was just hoping in vain that he wasn't. Yeah, he was loud and obnoxious continuously calling everything and everyone a man, but she never thought he would be one to ignore his nakama.

"Fighting is man," he shouted sitting down next to her.

He had gotten knocked out of the brawl as Natsu and Gray really got into it.

"Elfman," she asked just barely loud enough for him to hear.

Usually Evergreen yelled at him and hit him for being a man. Whatever she needed must be important.

"Yes," he answered.

"Why are you ignoring Lucy-sama," she asked.

His face darkened, "That loser is not a man."

Evergreen's eyes widened. He was ignoring Lucy-sama. Why would he do that? Lucy-sama was the best next to Laxus-sama.

Evergreen's rage boiled to the surface, and she stood up. Angry tears blurring her vision as she turned to him.

"A REAL MAN DOESN'T IGNORE HIS FRIENDS," she screeched lashing her with her fan to smack him across the face.

Turning on her heel, she stalked out of the guild and towards her home in Fairy Hills. Lucy-sama was so good and kind. If it wasn't for her, Laxus-sama would still be exiled. She still remembered the day that it all happened.

_Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe were waiting under the Sola Tree at South Gate Park. Natsu and Gajeel had challenged Laxus to a fight. Natsu and Gajeel soon showed up. Gajeel stood on the sidelines with the rest of the crowd of watchers, while Natsu soon stepped into the center facing Laxus. Laxus stood up and faced Natsu. They both released their magic into the air around them. Natsu becoming covered in flames, while Laxus became surrounded by lightning. Neither moved and simply faced each other as their magic pulsed in the air surrounding the bodies. Natsu then launched himself at Laxus for an attack, but Laxus simply struck him down with his fist. Natsu was finished in one non-magical punch from Laxus._

_After the fight, they turned to Gajeel only to find him gone. He was too scared of being beat up and disappeared as soon as Natsu was crushed. _

_As the rest of the crowd formed search parties to find Gajeel, Laxus turned to leave. As he was turned, he found himself facing Wendy, Carla, and Master. They stood staring at each other silently with the Thunder God Tribe watching from behind Laxus and Wendy and Carla standing beside Master. Laxus looked down before turning and walking away._

"_Wait Laxus-sama," Bixlow called._

"_Come back to Fairy Tail," Evergreen spoke stepping out from next to Freed and Bixlow to face the direction Laxus was walking._

_Freed stepped towards master, "Master! Isn't it about time you lifted Laxus-sama's expulsion? Master!" _

_Master turned to face Laxus' back as he was walking away. _

"_Master! Laxus wait," Lucy called running up from one of the vendors placed throughout the park._

_Lucy paused next to master bending over and putting her hands on her knees to catch her breath._

"_What Lucy," master asked looking up at her. Laxus had also paused father away to hear what she had to say._

"_M-master," she huffed before finally catching her breath and standing back up, "I believe Laxus should be allowed back in the guild."_

_Master's eyes widened. He knew the Freed, Evergreen, and Bixlow would plead for Laxus' return, but not Lucy. Not any of the ones who got hurt or were turned to stone during Fantasia. Why was she asking for an end to his punishment?_

_The Thunder God Tribe as well as Laxus were speechless. Evergreen was confused as to why someone she turned to stone would help them. Bixlow wanted to know why she was helping even when he nearly turned her and Loke into his own dolls to control. Freed and Laxus were wondering why when they had hurt so many of her friends._

_Wendy and Carla knew this wasn't a conversation that needed them and left._

"_Why do you think his punishment should end, Lucy," master asked shocked._

"_Yeah, Cosplayer Queen. I get us pleading for Laxus. We're his bodyguards, his friends, but not you. We hurt you and Fairy Tail, so why," Bixlow questioned stepping forward._

"_Because he changed. He learned what it means to protect his nakama. He isn't the same as he used to be. He doesn't have the angry crazy look in his eye when Mira called him via lacrima to ask for help during Phantom Lord and he asked me to be his girl. He proved he knows what it means to be nakama. To protect and care for your friends, your comrades. He proved it when he came when we fought Hades. Natsu might have died from his attack if Laxus hadn't come in and attacked Hades. He came even though he knew he would get in trouble for being on Fairy Tail's land. He didn't leave like he was going to before Acnologia attacked. He stood and fought beside us. He stood by as a comrade and friend when we went into Fairy Sphere," Lucy took a deep breath after saying everything in a rush, "And that's why I believe Laxus should be allowed to return._

_Laxus, Bixlow, Evergreen, Freed, and master were all speechless. _

_Lucy shifted from foot to foot nervously. They were so quiet. Did she say something wrong? _

_Laxus couldn't believe after everything her had done, how cruel, mean, and heartless he had been, she still found reason to believe he changed. She was truly a Fairy Tail mage believing in one's nakama._

_Master's eyes widened before softening, "You know the true meaning of nakama, Lucy. I'm proud of you," he turned towards Laxus, "Laxus."_

_Laxus turned and faced the others, "Yeah, old man," he responded._

_Master's eyes watered a bit as he smiled, "Your expulsion has been lifted. You may return to Fairy Tail as the s-class mage you were before."_

_Laxus' eyes watered slightly as he smiled before looking down to the ground, "thank you," he spoke softly._

_Lucy and Makarov smiled at each other before smiling at Laxus._

"_Thank Lucy, Laxus. If not for her statement, I wouldn't have let you come back," Makarov replied before walking away. _

_He needed to before Freed, Evergreen, and Bixlow came out of shock. They were gonna go nuts. He smiled gleefully. Now Laxus got to deal with them._

"_Thank you, Lucy," Laxus spoke looking up to smile at her softly. _

_Lucy blushed embarrassed as she waved her hands frantically in front of her, "No, No. I just – Your eyes, they had so much regret, longing, and sadness. I knew you truly regretted your actions and were sad. I saw how much you missed being in the guild alongside your friends. I couldn't just let you continue to suffer. Besides if it wasn't for you, I'd probably be dead along with the others that fought Hades."_

_All of a sudden Freed, Bixlow, and Evergreen burst into tears and threw themselves on Laxus._

"_Laxus-sama can come back," they cried overjoyed._

"_Oi! Get off," Laxus shouted trying frantically to peel his bodyguard fan friends off himself. _

_Lucy burst into laughter. She knew they followed and obsessed over Laxus, but not this much. It was to funny watching Laxus get irritated while being happy and trying in vain to peel them off. She was laughing so hard she didn't notice the evil gleam in his eyes until too late._

"_Oi! You should be thankin' Lucy not bawling over me. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have been able to come back," Laxus spoke nodding his head professionally while smirking evilly. _

_Freed, Bixlow, and Evergreen's eyes widened in realization. That was true. Lucy was the reason they got Laxus back._

_As quick as the lightning their leader used, the three turned and glomped Lucy knocking her to ground and effectively stopping her laughter. She screeched terrified as she landing hard on the ground with the three mages on top of her bawling their eyes out._

"_W-wha–," she stuttered before being cut off._

"_THANK YOU LUCY-SAMA," they shouted together. _

"_W-waaah? Lucy-sama? No, no. you don't need to call me that! Please calm down! It was nothing," Lucy tried calming then while panicking._

_After Freed, Bixlow, and Evergreen finished bawling, praising, and thanking her and Laxus finished laughing his ass off. The Thunder God Tribe released Lucy and got up. _

_After wiping the dust off his clothes, Freed held a hand out to Lucy. She took it gratefully and allowed him to help her up._

_As Lucy dusted herself off, Freed began speaking, "I believe I speak for all of the Thunder God Tribe when I thank you Lucy-sama. No other would have done so. Not after everything we've said and done. Please allow us – not Laxus-sama – to address you as Lucy-sama. We shall protect and help you should you ever need just as we do Laxus-sama."_

_It was Lucy's turn to be speechless this time as Bixlow and Evergreen nodded and smiled along with every word that came out of Freed's mouth._

"_I-I don't know what to say," she stuttered._

"_Just accept it, Blondie. You are now an honorary member and leader of the Thunder God Tribe," Laxus smiled down at her._

"_You're blonde too Laxus," Lucy shouted overwhelmed. _

"_Yes," Evergreen squealed grabbing Lucy's hands tightly, "I hope we can be good friends, Lucy-sama. It'll be fun not being the only girl! Now I have a girlfriend I can be girly with."_

"_Yup! You're stuck with us now, Cosplayer Queen," Bixlow laughed as he wagged his tongue at her._

_Lucy smiled, "yeah guess I am."_

Evergreen slammed into her room tears coating her face. She looked around before smashing the hidden sculpture of Elfman she had had made with her Fairy Machine Gun. No one was worthy of her crush – love – if they couldn't treat their nakama well.

"No one in the guild is worthy of my heart then," Evergreen cried curling up in a ball on her bed as she cried to herself.

Wendy was sitting next to Romeo talking and laughing. Romeo was still the same sweet boy he grew up to be while they were locked away for seven years. She paused, hearing through the guild's commotion, Gajeel and Evergreen's conversations with Levy and Elfman respectively. She couldn't believe they were acting this way despite having just heard it. She turned to Romeo who was entertaining himself by lighting his fist on fire like Natsu.

"Ne, Romeo," she asked getting his attention.

"Yeah, Wendy, what is it," he asked smiling over at her.

"What do you think about going on a mission with Carla, Lily-san, Gajeel-san, Lucy-san and me," she asked smiling.

"I'm fine with everyone but Lucy. Why would you wanna go on a mission with her? She weak and a loser," he snorted.

Her eyes watered. He was gonna be like the rest of the guild, like Elfman and Levy.

"B-but Lucy-san isn't weak or a loser," she stuttered.

"Yeah she is. She can't do anything on her own. Natsu-nii always has to save her, and she can't fight on her own. She always hides behind her spirits. She is weak and a loser," he counted off all her faults on his fingers.

Wendy shook in sadness and anger, "Lucy-nee is strong. She defeated the celestial mage from Oración Seis by herself even when Angel-san had Gemini who could control Lucy-nee's spirits. Natsu helped everyone on the team at one time or another. She can to fight with her whip. Her magic powers her spirits and yet she still fights beside them! She doesn't hide behind them. She isn't weak and she isn't a loser," Wendy shouted.

"Yes she is, Wendy! Why are you defending that trash," he shouted back.

"Because Lucy-nee is my friend! She was your friend too! Why are you being so mean, Romeo? What happened to nakama? Lucy-nee is our nakama. If you don't want to be her friend fine, but don't be mean and put her down. She doesn't need mean people to be her friends and I don't either," Wendy screeched at him not loud enough to be heard over the guild brawl, but high pitched enough to make his ears ring.

She slapped him across the face before running out of the guild tears filling her eyes. She barely noticed Carla follow her using her Aera.

Tears cascaded down Wendy's face as she ran from the guild with Carla flying quietly next to her as they headed towards their room in Fairy Hills. Romeo… Romeo was acting like all the others. As she made her way into her room at Fairy Hills, she slammed the door shut before falling to the bed sobbing her heart out. Why? Lucy-nee never did anything wrong. She was nice and kind and helped everyone with a smile. She had her few quirks, but every member of Fairy Tail has one or two too.

Wendy closed her crying eyes and let Carla's patting relax her as she fell into a deep dreamless slumber.

Lisanna sat at the bar near Mira-nee as she watched Natsu fight with Gray in the guild. She had already watched Gajeel stomp out with Pantherlily on his heels leaving Levy gapping, and Evergreen yell and hit Elfman before running out with tears in her eyes. Now she watched Wendy hit Romeo before running out with Carla following her using her Aera. If only she could hear them over the guild, or better yet have the dragon hearing Natsu had told her about.

She scanned her eyes over the guild finding all the original members of Team Natsu except one. Lucy…

She hadn't been taking missions with Team Natsu lately, and Lisanna went with them instead. No one said anything about it though although Gray and Erza sometimes looked a bit sad, especially when, they turned and saw her – rather than Lucy – when they were on a mission.

Turning her back to the guild brawl that had begun to be mainly Gray and Natsu, she faced the bar and began to eat some of the cream puffs Mira-nee had brought her. Mira-nee remembered her favorite foods, drinks, and even things while she was in Edolas and they all thought she was dead.

Lisanna wondered if Lucy hated her for coming back. She had noticed how a few people – mainly Natsu and Mira-nee– acted when someone mentioned Lucy. They got angry and started talking bad about her. Rubbing her chin as she thought, she realized only a few people ever spoke about Lucy nicely or spoke to her when she showed up in the guild.

Gajeel, Pantherlily, Wendy, Carla, Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe, and Master were the only ones she ever saw speak to Lucy when she was in the guild and talk kindly about her when she wasn't. Thinking about it know, she came to the realization that everyone in the guild was acting like Mira-nee and Natsu. Is that why Evergreen, Wendy, and Gajeel got angry and stomped off? Because Elf-nii, Romeo, and Levy were acting like she saw Natsu and Mire-nee act when Lucy was brought up?

With a loud huff someone dropped into the seat next to her. She turned to find Natsu. He turned and faced her smiling.

"Hey, Lisanna!"

"Hi Natsu," she mumbled softly.

A frown marred his face, "What's wrong?"

"Natsu you'd never ignore your nakama, right? You wouldn't be cruel and rude to them, would you?"

"Of course not! Why would you think that?"

"Then why are you ignoring Lucy? Isn't she your nakama? Why have you been ignoring her and getting angry anytime someone brings her name up in conversation?"

Natsu grew angry turning his head down to the bar so his hair covered his eyes.

"Don't talk about that loser. Got it," his voice dark and deep unlike the happy Natsu she grew up with and came back to.

"Natsu, she's our nakama! I thought you didn't ignore your nakama? What is wrong with you!?"

"Nothing. I'll see you later," he snapped before stomping off.

Lisanna couldn't help, but feel like he was gonna do something. It hurt to think, but she was glad Lucy had left on a mission yesterday. She feared what Natsu might do to her.

What she didn't know was what Lucy would be greeted to when she got home.


	4. The Arival

**Hey! This chapter just continues from chapter 2, The Exceptions, so it is happening while chapter 3, The "Break-Ups" is going on...if that makes any sense... Did everyone like my ending? Tee Hee it'll be awhile before you get it, but anyway here is the next chapter!  
**

Lucy grumbled feeling herself being tapped gently. She didn't want to get up yet. Who was so mean to wake her up when she was tired?

"Hime, Hime, we are at the last stop you need to get up."

Cracking open one eye to see the pink hair and blue eyes of Virgo, she smiled a bit. It was nice to wake up to have company even if they weren't human.

"Thanks Virgo. So we're in Clover Town," Lucy asked as she sat up stretching her arms to the sky.

"Hai, hime. Shall there be punishment?"

"No, no. Think you can grab my bags and hold them in the Spirit World till I find someone trustworthy to travel with. I don't want to have a reason to get mugged."

"Hai, Hime," Virgo grabbed Lucy's suitcase and backpack, "shall that be all?"

"Yup! I'm gonna go find a ride to take me up North. I still have a long way to go, and I don't want to get a SE-plug car. It'll drain my magic that I need for the mission," Lucy said smiling.

"Be careful, Hime, and be sure to call me to take care of any perverts for you," Virgo bowed before disappearing.

Lucy smiled to herself before getting up and heading off the train. She had such wonderful spirits and they took care of her so well. They were always looking after her.

Lucy walked towards the town remembering her first mission with everyone before they became a team. They were all so strong as they cut up Lullaby causing it to be unable to play its death tune.

She shook her head to get rid of her thoughts. If she started thinking about them then she would get depressed this whole mission was supposed to make her feel better not make her sad.

Walking around, she soon found a magic shop. She was so excited maybe they had some keys! She had money saved from being ignored and going solo. A new key or two would brighten her mood and make her new friends!

Practically glowing with happiness, Lucy skipped into the magic shop and up to the owner who was standing behind the counter.

"Excuse me, sir, do you have any celestial keys," she asked.

The old man rubbed his chin gazing upward in thought, "I'm not exactly sure what celestial keys are, little miss."

"If it helps they look similar to these," Lucy said pulling her key ring off her belt and setting them on the counter.

The old man looked at them for a few minutes before shouting out, "I got some of those things! Hold on just a minute."

As the man turned and walked into the back room, Lucy turned and looked around the shop after reattaching her keys. She soon found a few interesting items. One was an anti-thieving belt, the other being a size changing celestial sword that used the light of the stars. Excited with her finds – as well as their cheap prices – she brought them to the counter and listened to the crashes and curses from the old shop keeper as he searched his back room.

"AH HA! I found them! The damn things," he shouted then muttered to himself.

He soon returned to the store front a little worse for wear, but grinning happily.

"Are these celestial keys little miss," he asked opening a black box with four keys lying in soft black velvet cloth.

Lucy smiled brightly, "Hai! These are celestial keys! How much do you want for all four of them?"

"How 'bout twenty thousand jewels since you're also getting some other things I haven't been able to sell."

Lucy blinked stunned. That was how much that old jerk in Hargeon was gonna charge her for Plue! This was awesome!

"Yes! That's wonderful, sir. Thank you so much," Lucy beamed happily even with the belt and celestial sword that the total was only thirty thousand jewels.

After giving him the jewels and her contact information – in case he came across any other keys – , she put her sword in her suitcase before changing belts and leaving the shop her four new keys dangling with the others at her hip.

She paused in an alley way to grab her bags from Virgo before heading back out to walk the streets.

Asking around, she soon found herself next to an old man loading up his wagon.

"Excuse me, sir, are you by chance going to Walnut Village in Waas Forest," Lucy asked.

The old man looked at her sadly, "Yes little girl I am."

Lucy smiled brightly although a bit confused as to why he was sad, "Would you mind giving me a ride there if it isn't any trouble?"

His eyes widened and his gray bushy eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hair.

"Why would a sweet girl like you go there? There's been a guild terrorizing that town."

Raising her right hand, she proudly showed the man her Fairy Tail mark.

"I'm a mage from Fairy Tail. I accepted a joint guild request to take down the dark guild, sir."

"Oh thank goodness! That poor town finally did something right," he muttered to himself.

"Um so do you think I can hitch a ride and what do you mean did something right," Lucy asked confused.

"Of course I'll give you a ride, and you'll see when we get there. Shouldn't you have a team or something," he asked questioningly as he took her suitcase and loaded it in with his boxes.

"I took this mission because it involves another guild, and I'd like to make some new friends," Lucy rubbed the back of her head uncomfortable with the talk of teams.

The old man watched her before smiling gently, "Don't worry sweetie. We all got something painful behind us, and I won't pry if you don't want to talk about it."

Lucy giggled, "Thank you and call me Lucy."

"Alrighty then call me Takashi," he said as he climbed up onto the driver bench and held out his hand, "Come on up lil' Lucy. You can ride up here with me."

Lucy took his hand and pulled herself up. As she settled, Takashi snapped the reins jolting the wagon into a start.

After about an hour of riding the sun was high and they stopped for lunch in a quiet grove of trees. He let the horses loose to graze and drink a bit from the stream a few feet away. After they finished eating and reattaching the horses, they started off again.

"So Lucy what kind of mage are you," Takashi asked before taking a sip from his water bottle.

"I'm a celestial spirit mage. I summon spirits from the Spirit World to aid me in battle," Lucy told him.

His eyes widened before he spewed the water he was drinking out into the air in front of him.

"You're a spirit mage? Well I knew there was something I trusted about you! I used to be one to. I still got my one of my keys too!"

"Really? I'm surprised you felt comfortable trusting me. I've heard about and fought some awful celestial mages who abused their spirits. It makes me so mad," Lucy grumbled remembering what Karen had done to Loke and Aries then how cruel Angel was to her spirits.

Lucy felt a ruff pat on her head as Takashi rubbed her head like a little girl. What the hell was it with guys now a days? I'm not a dog!

"There there, Lucy. This is what I meant you think of your spirits as friends like I did. I'm proud to have met another kind spirit mage like yourself."

Lucy blushed and looked away, "thanks," she mumbled embarrassed.

The sun had slowly begun to fall as they reached Walnut Village.

"The hell," Lucy questioned as she looked at the pecan trees surrounding the village.

"I know. The village is called Walnut Village, but no. Instead of being surrounded by walnut trees, they are surrounded by pecan trees."

Lucy began giggled before bending over in laughter, "W-why would they do that? I-isn't it a bit misleading?"

"Yes yes it is, but they won't listen to my advice to change it," Takashi shook his head sadly, "they get teased and picked on by the other villages around here, but dang it. They ain't much better. Pecan Village is surrounded by acorn trees. This whole damn forest is full of messed up idiots."

They soon drove near the inn Lucy had made reservations at after she hopped down. She turned to get her things only to find Takashi already grabbing them and handing them to her.

"Thank you so much, Takashi! How much do I owe you for the trip?"

"Oh you don't owe me anything," he assured, "but there is something I'd like to ask you."

"Yes! I'd love to help you since you helped me."

"I'd like you to take my key. You're a good mage. You'll take good care of 'em. I've already dissolved my contract. I've just been holding on to it for sentimental reasons, but I think he deserve to be active again."

"B-but he's you're friend," Lucy stuttered. She didn't want to take his key away. He was such a nice person. She knew he was a kind mage that wouldn't abuse his spirit.

"Yes, but I can't see him anymore. I'd like him to make a new friend with you. I know he'd like you. Please take care of him," he pleaded.

Lucy nodded slowly, "if you're sure. You can always change your mind."

"I'm sure," he smiled as he pulled one key out of his pocket and laid it in her hand," the mayor of this village lives in the largest tree in the center of town. I've got to drop off my load before heading out to the other villages. It was a pleasure to meet you Lucy."

They shook hands, "It was a pleasure to meet you too Takashi! Maybe we may cross paths again, and you can teach me a little of what you know of celestial magic," Lucy smiled.

As they parted ways, Lucy headed into the inn and claimed her reservations. She headed up to her room and dropped her bags on her bed. Deciding to take a shower before meeting with the mayor, she headed into the bathroom and started the shower to get it hot. As she stepped back into the bedroom to choice her clothes, she decided she would make contracts with her six new keys after meeting with the mayor. She laid her clothes on the bed and headed back into the bathroom and stripped before getting into the shower.

As she washed her body and hair, Lucy wondered who the other guild was that was on the mission. Master didn't know anything about whom or if someone had chosen the mission. She hoped maybe Lamia Scale or Blue Pegasus. She knew people from there so it wouldn't be that hard working with others from the same guild. Maybe it was a new guild that popped up during the seven years they were stuck in Fairy Sphere.

Lucy finished her shower and got out. She brushed her teeth and put on the clothes she chose after getting them from the bedroom. She decided to pull her hair into a simple high ponytail at the back of her head. She attached her keys and whip to her belt and put her room key into her pocket before heading out to meet the mayor and see if there was anything he could tell her about the job.

As she walked through the peaceful village, Lucy grew angry that a dark guild would be terrorizing these innocent people. She watched the children play and look around warily before playing once again in a continuous pattern. The adults all watched the surrounding forest suspiciously as well as her for being an unknown visitor.

Lucy soon found herself at the base of a large oak tree house. She calmed herself by smoothing down her black shirt and shorts before knocking on the front door. After waiting a few moments, the door opened to reveal a little old lady.

"Yes, sweetie, what do you need," the little old lady asked up at Lucy.

"I'm from Fairy Tail," she raised her right hand to show her mark, "I accepted the joint guild mission to take down the dark guild although I don't know what other guild accepted."

The lady's eyes widened, "Come in, come in! I'll take you to the mayor!"

The woman grabbed Lucy by the hand and dragged her into the house tree slamming the door behind them. She then continued pulling Lucy down hallways and up stairs before pausing in front of a beautifully carved door.

"This is the mayor's office. Wait here and I'll let him know you're here then bring you in," she said finally releasing her death grip on Lucy to knock and poke her head inside the door.

"Mr. Mayor, the mage from Fairy Tail is here. Do you want to see her now or wait for the other guild," the lady asked.

Lucy heard a muffled, "send her in," through the door before the lady grabbed her hand and pushed the door open pulling her along.

Lucy gazed around the room done completely in dark cherry wood. A distinguished old man sat behind a large oak desk – the only thing not done in cherry wood. He motioned to her to have a seat at one of the trio of chairs in front of his desk. She sat in the middle chair and politely waited for the little old lady to go.

"Kaede please go get us some tea," the mayor asked of the little old lady.

"Of course," Kaeda agreed before leaving and closing the door gently behind her.

"Hello, Mayor-san. I'm Lucy Heartfillia of Fairy Tail," she once again raised her right hand the Fairy Tail stamp on the back, "I accepted on behalf of Fairy Tail. I'm also a celestial spirit mage. I summon spirits from the Spirit World, and I have also dealt with other summoners – which is why I accepted because you requested a summoner."

"Ah. That is very good. I'm so grateful that you accepted. Sabertooth has already informed us that they do not have a summoner in the guild."

"Sabertooth," Lucy asked confused. She had never heard of that guild before.

"Ah Sabertooth is the other guild that accepted the mission. Haven't you heard of them?"

"No I was one of those that was trapped for seven years," Lucy smiled, "So Sabertooth is a new guild?"

The mayor's eyes widened, "You're one of those members! I'm so honored to meet someone who survived such an attack," he stood and grabbed her hand shaking it for all he was worth.

"Yes thank you," Lucy smiled and blushed as he shook her hand, "but I can't take all the credit. We fought to the end as a family and went to sleep believing in our friends, our family, our nakama."

"Of course. Caring and protecting your nakama is Fairy Tail's motto isn't it," he assured.

"Yes although it is more of a code of our life. It is something that is purely Fairy Tail despite its' ability to be a goal – code – for everyone."

"Yes, of course," he smiled before dazing off into a daydream.

As he dazed off Kaede returned with tea and began filling a cup for the Mayor and Lucy and flicked him on the forehead on her way out.

"You got to keep his attention sweetheart or he'll completely forget you're here," Kaede said as she shut the door behind her once again.

"I do not," the mayor shouted at the closed door.

"Anyways, sir, is there anything you can tell me about the guild, it's members, what the summoner summons, or where they may hide. Anything would be helpful so I could start planning before the members from Sabertooth get here."

They discussed for hours the things the village had learned since being attacked. The dark guild, Shadow Blade, always came from different directions so they were unsure of the guild's location. They had estimated about five to six mages come to terrorize the village at a time sometimes different people, but the summoner was always one of them. They didn't know what magic the others used because the while the summoner was making a mess and terrorizing, the others simply stole and used their fists to injure people. They did know that the summoner summoned a large black snake or two separate fish looking snakes, one white with a black underbelly while the other black with a white underbelly. They didn't know if they were celestial spirits or just demons.

After they finished talking, Lucy headed out telling him she would be at Cherry Inn if he had any more information, the Sabertooth mages, or there was an attack to let her know. As she left the Mayor's house, she found it was already dark. She decided against making the contracts in the dark forest for fear of being attacked and not being able to see, and instead she headed back to the inn to think on what she had learned and begin planning.

As she made her way into her room, she stopped in the bathroom to run herself a hot bath then went to get pajamas while the tub was filling up. After returning to the bathroom, Lucy stripped and settled into her hot bath. She leaned her head against the rim and closed her eyes thinking over what she had learned.

They would need to do a bit of tracking in order to find the guild unless they attack and they beat them and interrogated one. She also knew they were gonna have to deal with more than one mage, and she hoped that more than one was coming from Sabertooth. She decided to summon Crux after her bath and find out if there were any spirits that had the same description as those the mayor had got from the villagers and gave himself. She really hoped there either a strong few or a semi large team coming because she had a feeling she was going to be dealing with a celestial mage, and she was unsure how strong they were or the types of powers their keys had.

Opening her eyes, Lucy quickly finished her bath and got dressed before heading back into the bedroom and picking up her keys off the bed were she had laid them before taking her bath. She pulled off her silver key and cut across the air in front of her.

"Open gate of the Southern Cross! Crux," she chanted.

Out of a magic circle came Crux, a human like cross, with a mustache and cross shaped nose. Unusually, he came out sleeping.

Lucy nudged him, "Hey, Crux, I need some help. Please wake up you old fool," a loud scream startled Lucy who screamed and fell back onto the hotel bed behind her.

She raised a hand to her chest attempting to steady her rapid heartbeat, "Dang it, Crux. I think you took five years off my life."

"Sorry Miss Lucy. Is there something you need?"

"Yes. I need to know if there are any spirits that one looks like a large black snake and the other two fish like snakes one white with a black underbelly the other black with a white underbelly."

Crux closed his eyes and began sleeping with a bubble of snot enlarging and shrinking as he searched his brain for the information I needed.

A few minutes later he shouted, "AHHH," as he woke up.

"Yes there are two spirits by those descriptions, but the fish like ones are fish not fish like. I cannot tell you who possess their keys or what keys they are, but yes they are spirits."

"Thank you, Crux. That was all I needed to know. Oh one more thing," Lucy asked.

"Yes?"

"Can you let the others know that I'm gonna need them for battle soon. I'm gonna be up against a dark guild with some as of now unknown members from a new guild called Sabertooth helping. I also have new keys I'm going to contract with tomorrow so please welcome them into our little family. Or just tell Loke to let everyone know, and that I'll call him out so he can see what the mages we will be working with look like so he can let everyone know. Thank you!"

"Of course, Miss Lucy. If that is all?"

"You may go now," and with that Lucy closed Crux gate.

Lucy yawned and rubbed her eyes before turning off the lights and crawling into her temporary bed. She wondered who the mages she would be working with were and if they were nice. She also wondered on what the new keys she would be contracting with were like and their powers. As her eyes began to get heavy, she prayer to her mother and father in heaven before drifting off into a dream land full of spirit friends and faceless new mage friends. 

**I bet you can guess who it's gonna be that comes from Sabertooth! Yaaay more guys to add to the contest of "Who gets with Lucy?" Anyways be sure to read the top of my next chapter because I'm gonna let you know someone in the anime/manga isn't making an appearance here... well as she is in the anime/manga maybe... I'm not sure yet... so anyway Bye-Bye!**


	5. New Friends

**So before you start, in my story Yukino isn't a Sabertooth mage. I'm not evensure if I'm gonna add her or not since I've already put her keys with other people, but she might show up as a non mage or something. So don't hate me Yukino-lovers! I like her too, but she wasn't helping my plot so I had to push her out. Anyway enjoy the chapter! (Also sorry for such a late update...School then FF decided I had it to east and became difficult)  
**

The next morning Lucy woke with the sun eager to get out and make contracts with her new keys. She had slept through the night, so she knew Shadow Blade didn't attack nor did the Sabertooth mages make it in. Hopefully they got here today so that they could get used to being around each other's magic so that they didn't mess up in a fight.

After showering and dressing, she went downstairs and enjoyed the complimentary breakfast. She had to force herself to eat slowly so she didn't choke from being too excited about meeting her new friends and rushing herself. After she finished her pancakes, eggs, toast, and coffee, she stopped by the front desk to let them know she was going behind the hotel to make contracts so she didn't alarm the villagers or their guests.

As she stood behind the Inn, she carefully pulled her five new keys off the key ring and slowly memorized the shape and feel of each. She had gotten Libra of the Heavenly Scales, Lupus the Wolf, Canes Venatici the Hunting Dogs, and Caelum the Sculpture's Chisel from the shop in Clover Town. Takashi had given her Draco the Dragon. Lucy placed all the keys back on her key ring except for Draco. If he turned out to be a large dragon, she'd rather get his contract – and the shock and fear from the villages – over quickly.

She ran her fingers over his key gently. It was black with specks of gold that resembled the stars in the night sky. It wasn't smooth like other keys, but ridged like scales. The top of the key depicted an etching of a sleeping dragon.

Taking a deep breath, she held the key to the sky before pulling it down and chanting, "I'm the one who connects the paths to the Spirit World. Thou shalt answer my call and traverse the gate. Open Gate of the Dragon, Draco."

A large gold magic circle appeared beneath her feet. A cloud of smoke and star dust surrounded her body and area around her to a few feet. As the smoke cleared, she came face to chest with a tall man. She looked up to meet gentle gold eyes partially covered by messy black hair. He wore a tight black t-shirt and jeans with a large sword strapped to his back. He placed one large hand over his heart and bent at the waist.

"Hello, new master," his voice was deep and rumbled like a dragon's growl.

Lucy smiled and slightly moved his shoulders upward to make him stand up straight, "Hello Draco! I'm Lucy. Your new friend, not master!"

His eyes widened then he smiled showing sharp teeth, "I've heard of you Hime-sama. The Spirit King thinks highly of you. It will be a pleasure to serve you I'm sure."

Lucy blushed and hid her face as she got out her notebook, "Ok Draco, what days are you available?"

"I'm here whenever you need me provided for rest between battles, and the occasional vacation. I know you shall be a kind owner," he smiled watching her attempts to hide her embarrassed face.

Lucy smiled and wrote it down in her notebook before shutting it and smiling up at him, "Ok contract complete! Can I ask what kind of magic you use, Draco? And do you have a dragon form?"

"Of course, Hime-sama. I am the celestial dragon or star dragon. I'm the same as the Earthland dragons with roars and wing attacks although when attacking in a human form I'll look like a dragon slayer except have the power of my dragon attacks, but I'm a spirit. I do have a dragon form. I chose not to come in it because I do not wish to drain you, but you are almost to the power that you can summon me in my dragon form although it will leave you drained afterwards. Is that all, Lucy-sama?"

"Yes! You may go back! I need to make my other contracts," she gave him a quick hug, "I'm sure we'll be good friends and partners in no time!"

He bowed once more and added, "As I'm a dragon spirit, I will be exceedingly loyal and protective. Do not hesitate to call me to crush your adversaries. I'm sure with your power level I could even break through the gate on my own if you're in danger."

"Thank you Draco," she whispered before he returned to the Spirit World in a cloud of star dust.

Lucy pulled out another key, and once again trailed her fingers over it. It was a golden zodiac. The design depicting the spirit was Libra. She believed Libra used some kind of gravity magic.  
She lifted the key to the sky and pulled down changing, "I'm the one who connects the paths to the Spirit World. Thou shalt answer my call and traverse the gate. Open Gate of the Heavenly Scales, Libra!"  
A magic circle in gold stretched out underneath her feet, the center of it the sign of Libra. Star dust and smoke circled around her. As it cleared, Lucy was face to face with a curvaceous woman.

Libra has dark hair tied in an ox horn style, and her attire resembles a belly dancer's, consisting of a green and yellow frilled and striped bikini top along with a patterned loincloth of the same colors and sporting pom-poms at the waist. She wears numerous red bangles on her arms and legs, and her neck is also concealed by a thick yellow necklace. On her feet are a simple pair of sandals, and her head is dressed with a red and yellow zigzagged headband. Concealing Libra's lower face is another cloth that bears her sign, tied around her head. Dangling from her hands, Libra carries a pair of gold scales, with thin black cords running from her gold rings to the sides of the scales, so that she holds them in an almost puppeteer-like fashion.

"Hello master," Libra greeted. Her voice calm and gentle sounding like a tinkling of wind chimes in the breeze.

"Hello, Libra. I'm Lucy! Your friend not master, so just call me Lucy."

"Lucy-sama," she nodded her head deciding on that to honor her new master. She was revered by her spirits as well as the Spirit King. Lucy-sama deserved all the respect she got.

Lucy giggled, "Yes that's fine too. My friends call me a variety of things. Virgo calls me Hime. Capricorn calls me Lucy-sama. Crux calls me Miss Lucy. You can call me whatever you're comfortable with as long as it isn't master."

"Thank you, Lucy-sama. I'm honored to serve one such as you."

"Can you tell me what kind of magic you use, Libra?"

"Hai. I use gravity magic. It can be similar to telekinesis as I can change the gravity around objects and people and move the gravity to push and pull them in any direction."

"Wow! That's so cool I hope we can be good friends! I already know you're going to be super helpful! You can go back if you want. I still have three more friends to contract," Lucy jumped in place excited about her new friends.

Libra bowed, "As you wish Lucy-sama," she said as she disappeared in a cloud of magic.

Lucy then pulled out a sliver key. As she ran her fingers over it memorizing it, she looked at the great detail at the top. It depicted a wolf head howling at a full moon.

She raised her hand to the sky and pulled it sharply in front of her and chanted, "I'm the one who connects the paths to the Spirit World. Thou shalt answer my call and traverse the gate. Open Gate of the Wolf, Lupus!"

A blue magic circle spread out beneath her and she was surrounded by a cloud of magic smoke. A sharp howl rang in her ears as she swiped her hand trying to clear the smoke quicker. A black wolf with golden eyes sat on his hind legs and stated soulfully up at her.

"Hello Lupus. I'm Lucy! Your new friend," she said gently bending down onto her knees and cautiously reaching a hand out to pat his - or her - head.

Lupus tilted his - or her - head towards Lucy before speaking in a low voice, "Hello master."

Lucy shrieked and pulled back landing hard on her butt.

A deep rumbling laugh came from Lupus, "It has been far too long since I had a master who was strong enough that I could speak to them. Although no one else other than your spirits will be able to hear anything other than growls and barks and the occasional howl."

After steadying her racing heart, Lucy reached and ran her fingers through Lupus' thick coat around his neck.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lupus."

"It is an honor to meet you master," he rumbled.

"Oh no. I'm not your master! I'm your friend."

His eyes softened more if that was possible, "may I call you Hime-sama then? I wish to honor you when I address such a kind owner or as you wish friend," he chuckled.

"Yes that's fine my other spirit friends call me a number of different things. May I ask what kind of magic you use?"

"With your strength now, I can use not only my physical strength to fight, but some shadow magic as well. Also as you grow stronger so will my shadow magic. When you get strong enough I will be able to turn you as well as myself into shadows."

Lucy squealed, "That's so cool!"

"At present I can only use basic attacks with my shadows like enhancing the power of my bite or claws sort of like a dragon slayer," he gave a sharp wolfie smile showing off his sharp canines. His master was interesting as well as nice. He knew he would be happy serving her for the rest of her life.

"That's wonderful! I can see us working well together in the future. If you wish, you can go back. I have just two more friends to make contracts with then I have to continue my job."

"of course Hime-sama," he bowed as gracefully as a wolf could before disappearing in a cloud of magic.

She then pulled out Caelum's key. She had already memorized it from when she fought Angel during the Nirvana incident. She quickly lifted and swiped the key from the sky to directly in front of her. A few computerized beeps sounded and out of a puff of smoke appeared Caelum.

Caelum is shaped like a sphere with a halo-like circle at top. It is made of metal and has lines tracing around its shape. The center of Caelum's body is in a darker shade of gray than the rest of its body and there is a small white circle with a smaller light green circle inside, giving it the appearance of an eye.

She quickly went through the process of making a contract with Caelum. Since he – she thought it was a he so she was dubbing it a he till he rejects it – couldn't talk, he bobbed up and down in the air to signify a "yes" and drifted side to side to say "no." She quickly jotted down the contract.

After closing his gate, Lucy then pulled out her last new key, Canes Venatici. She ran her fingers over the silver key's etching of two dogs. She raised the key to the sky and pulled it down once again chanting, "I'm the one who connects the paths to the Spirit World. Thou shalt answer my call and traverse the gate. Open Gate of the Hunting Dogs, Canes Venatici!"

A chorus of barks filled the smoke and star dust filled air. As it cleared, Lucy found herself looking at a trio of coonhounds. Their black and tan coat shimmering in the morning sunlight, as they gazed up at her with their gentle dark chocolate brown eyes. They had long droopy black ears that swayed and swung when they moved their heads.

She kneeled down and petted each in turn promising to try and start keeping dog treats for them in her backpack. As they went ahead with the contract, she found it the same as the other spirits she had just contracted. They could all be summoned everyday as long as there is rest time in between and the occasional vacation. She also learned the largest of the three with a full tan muzzle – and the only boy – who always seemed to be in the middle, was named Katsu, which meant victory. The female to the right with the top of her muzzle tan was Akira, which meant bright or clear. The female to the left with the bottom of her muzzle tan was Hoshi, which meant star.

As she finished petting them and stood back up, she closed their gate. She needed to find out if the Sabertooth mage had made it yet. She also needed to conserve her strength in case of an attack on the village.

As Lucy headed back to the inn, she continued wondering how they would do the mission. Hopefully the mages had arrived and they could plan. After checking at the desk for messages and getting none, she decided to head out and explore the town.

She looked in different shops and vendors. It was a very busy village despite being so far from any large towns. She found and bought a pretty necklace for Wendy. The charm was a light blue and white sleeping dragon, and it was hung on a delicate silver chain.

She bought some of the town's local tea for Carla, and she decided to get some kiwi and fish for Lily and Happy at the end of her mission as she was leaving. She also bought a new book for Freed, a new fan for Evergreen, and a new doll for Bixlow.

She continued looking till she got to a male jewelry store near where she entered town. Before she entered, she watched the area suspiciously. She had this gut feeling that something was going to happen. She shook herself and entered the shop. She was on guard and was ready to fight if needing be.

She browsed the jewelry till she found two leather bracelets. One had a gold lightning bolt engraved on it while the other was studded with metal. She happily bought them bother for Laxus and Gajeel respectively.

As she headed out of the shop her arms laden with two bags each, she turned to the sound of a wagon coming from the forest towards the village. As it came into few she paused wanting to see who was coming into the village.

After the wagon got to the entrance and stopped, she heard groaning inside. She glanced quickly at the driver who looked exasperated and irritated as he nodded to say she was allowed to go and look in the back. He probably knew what she was in the village for, and wanted her to know they were harmless, but more than likely wanting to get rid of them since he allowed her to go to the back of his wagon.

As she circled around the wagon, she placed a hand on her keys shifting through till she felt Loke's key and then looked in the back. She looked in to find two green in the face boys around her age one was blonde, the other had black hair and two exceed like cats. Maybe they were exceeds, she wasn't sure till they started talking.

"Sting-kun, the wagon stopped! We can get out. You're still the strongest," the dark red exceed whose belly, paws, tip of his tail and face are light red exclaimed over the blonde. He was wearing an open blue vest that had three black buttons.

"Rogue-kun, we're here. We can go now," spoke the other small, long-tailed, green cat. He had large, round eyes, each complete with a pair of prominent eyelashes, and rosy cheeks. The entirety of him, aside from his face, was covered by a pink frog-like suit, in which the vast majority is covered by black spots. The suit sports a plain belly, webbed hands, and a hood which forms the frog's head, complete with two beady eyes resting on the hood.

The green cat poked the black haired boy's cheek and the red cat poked the blonde boy's cheek before the boys finally flung themselves out of the wagon and onto the ground in front of Lucy. The driver had gotten out and tossed their bags on the ground next to them before hopping back up in the driver's seat and driving away.

The two boys groaned still green in the face as they rolled on the floor.

Lucy bent down to their level and looked at them slightly amused. The only person she knew to get such bad motion sickness was Natsu, but these two looked like they were trying to hide it despite it not working. She looked to see the two cats looking at her weirdly before she returned her gaze to the two teens in front of her.

"You two know you're not on the wagon anymore, right? You're both on nice nonmoving ground," Lucy remarked.

The black haired one to her left seemed to pause and think about what she said before he slowly sat up still weak from the wagon ride, while the blonde to her right didn't even register that she had spoken or that she was there.

The dark haired one sighed then all of a sudden smacked the blonde boy on the back of the head, "Stop whining we aren't moving," he spoke in a monotone voice.

The blonde paused in his groaning to rub the back of his head before jumping up, "YEAH! I'm never getting on a wagon again," he shouted before falling down again weak from the ride.

The red exceed jumped up excited, "Yeah! Sting-kun's the best! He can handle anything!"

The green exceed in its' pink frog suit cuddled close to the dark haired boy before cooing, "Fro thinks Rogue-kun is the best!"

Lucy giggled the cats were so cute! Both boys looked up at her along with their cats. The black haired was wondering why she was giggling while the blonde was shocked that someone was there and he hadn't noticed.

"Hello," she smiled, "I'm Lucy!"

The dark haired boy stood up now steady on his feet and nodded at her, "I'm Rogue and this is my exceed Fro," he said tilting his head towards the pink frog suit wearing exceed.

Fro sprouted wings and flew up in front of Lucy's face, "Fro's name is Frosch, but you can call Fro, Fro, Lucy-san."

"It's nice to meet you Rogue and Fro," Lucy smiled before scratching Fro under the chin causing him to purr while she looked closer at the two teens.

Rogue black hair is later brushed to the right side of his face covering up his right eye. He has red eyes with slit pupils similar to that of a snake's. He was wearing a long, black cape reaching down to his feet, with golden edges, a much lighter collar circling his neck, and a prominent, white ribbon hanging down on his chest. The cape bore what looked to be a light guild mark on it.

He also wore a plain grey shirt, with prominent brown cuffs. From a light sash circling his waist hangs a distinctive, pale blue cloth waist guard, consisting of four long pieces of cloth reaching down below his knees. Each of these pieces is adorned by a large, dark cross with fan-shaped arms. Below his waist guard, Rogue wears a pair of armored boots, which, on the front, bear plates bearing the very same cross which appears on the waist guard.

The blonde has slanted dark blue eyes, and above the right one is a thin diagonal scar. His left ear is adorned with a crystal looking earring that hangs from a metal ring. He had what looked to be a white guild mark on his left shoulder.

He was wearing a blue vest with golden outer edges and inner edges covered by a prominent trimming of gray fur over a short, cream top, leaving his muscular abs exposed. His arms are covered by dark blue gloves reaching up to his mid-bicep, with their upper edges being adorned by light gray bands hanging down several centimeters. He wears loose, cream-colored pants that were held up by suspenders, which are attached to the pants' loops by square-shaped rings. Over them, he dons distinctive black footwear with gold bottoms that reaches up to his thighs and attach to the upper edge of his pants.

Fro curled up in Lucy's arms much to Rogue's dismay and the trio watched as the blonde paniced from his place on the ground.

Rogue turned to Lucy, "the blonde idiot is Sting and the red exceed is his partner Lector."

"I'M NOT AN IDIOT, ROGUE," Sting shouted as he jumped to his feet.

"Yeah! Cause Sting-kun is the best," Lector cheered by Sting's feet.

Lucy turned to Rogue, "So I'm gonna assume you guys are dragon slayers, since you both have exceeds and motion sickness."

Sting crossed his arms and leaned in close to Lucy, "Hey sweetie. Haven't you ever heard of Sting Eucliffe the Great and Powerful White Dragon Slayer? I'll be glad to give you an autograph."

Lucy's eye twitched. He was almost as bad as Loke. She handed Fro to Rogue before smiling evilly towards Sting although he thought it was a sweet smile. Her fist tightened at her waist before she swung hitting Sting in the face and sending him into a tree.

Lector wailed and ran to Sting, "NO! Sting-kun! Don't die!"

Fro giggled and Rogue had the tiniest of smiles on his face.

Lucy shrugged her shoulders, "I don't like creeps."

She picked up her bags from where she had set them when the wagon was still their before walking away. She turned back to Rogue, "I'll see you guys later. I have a mission, and I'm waiting on some people to arrive."

Rogue turned with Fro in his arms and walked over to Sting, "Well that was interesting."

"Shut the hell up, Rogue, and Lector how could you think I would die from that chick's punch," Sting growled alternating from rubbing his cheek where she punched him and the lump on the back of his head from where he hit the tree.

"I also think she's the one we have to work with for this joint mission," Rogue stated blankly as he looked in the direction Lucy left.

Sting's eyes widened, "Hell no! I'm not working with that crazy bitch!"

Rogue's eyes gleamed mischievously before returning to their usual blank expression, "Yes, but think she probably doesn't know we're the other mages she is supposed to work with. Won't it be fun to shock her?"

Sting's eyes narrowed imagining the shock of Lucy and his insults to her intellect as she didn't realize that she had to work with them.

He rubbed his hands gleefully an evil smirk across his face before he jumped up, "You're right! I can't wait to see the look on her face," he shouted.

Sting turned grabbed his bag and ran towards the village, "Hurry up Rogue! Let's get a room and food then meet with the requestor and show that chick whose boss," he shouted over his shoulder.

"Yeah! Cause Sting-kun is the greatest," Lector cheered flying next to Sting as they made their way into the village a trail of dust behind them.

Rogue grabbed his bag and tossed it over his shoulder before following Sting slowly with Fro in his arms.

Fro pulled gently on Rogue's collar, "Rogue-kun, didn't Lucy-san say she knew you and Sting-kun are dragon slayers?"

"Yes, Fro, she did," Rogue answered.

"Fro is confused. If Lucy-san knows you're both mages, how would Sting-kun show her who is boss?"

"He won't. If he wasn't an idiot, he would have realized already, but then he couldn't even tell she was standing next to us. She doesn't seem like an idiot. I feel sure the three of us can laugh at Sting's stupidity."

Fro covered his mouth with his paws and giggled, "Sting-kun is so silly."

Rogue smiled gently down at his best friend, "Yes he is."

**Ah Rogue so mischievous in my story! :) And Sting is so idiotic like Natsu! So two more guys added to Laxus, Gajeel, Gray? (Was he one that I was choosing from...I can't remember...) and now Sting and Rogue! hahaha! Can you guess now? Mwahaha  
**

**Also I'm working on the next chapter... It's kinda being difficult... but I'm going to try and have it out before I go back to school after Christmas break...**

**:3 Nyaaa**


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